102 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



i'. Culnien us long iia middle toe, witbout claw, its greatest width not more 

 than one-third the length of the culnien ; the end much flattened, and 

 nail very slightlj- hooked. (Subgenus Aristonctta Baird.') 



Adult male : Head and neck reddish brown, the former blackish on top; 

 chest, ujiper back, lower rump, and upper and under tail-coverts, 

 black ; rest of plumage (except quills, etc.) white, the upper parts, 

 sides, flanks, and ventral region, finely waved or vcrmiculated with 

 dusky. Adult female : Head, neck, chest, and upper back, raw- 

 umber brown, the fore part of the head and fore-neck whitish ; 

 scapulars, sides, and flanks similar, but tips of the leathers vcrmicu- 

 lated with whitish. Length about 20.00-23.50, wing 8.75-9.25, 

 culmcn 2.10-2.50, greatest depth of bill .75-.80. Eggs 2.48 X 1-76, 

 pale grayish drab or very pale grayish olive-green. Hab. Whole 

 of North America, breeding far northward. 



147. A. vallisneria (Wils.). Canvas-back, 

 ff'. Culmen shorter than inner toe, with claw ; bill wider at end than at ba.se; head 

 and neck black in adult males. (Subgenus Fuligula Stephens.) 

 i'. Speculum white, tipped with black. 



c'. Back anil scapulars in adult male grayish white irregularly waved or 

 zigzagged with black ; no pendent crest on occiput. 

 d'. Flanks immaculate white. 



e\ Six inner quills with a distinct white space on the inner web. 

 Adult male: Head, nock, and chest uniform black, the first 

 with a greenish gloss ; wing-coverts duskj-, " grizzled" with 

 grayish white; bill (in life) pale grayish blue, or bluish 

 •white, with black nail. Adult male at end of breeding sea- 

 son : "Plumage resembling that of the female, but the 

 brown on the head and neck is blackish brown, the back is 

 more barred with dirty white, the beak is lighter blue, and 

 the eyes richer yellow." (Dresser.) Adult female : Head 

 and neck snuff-brown, the former white round base of bill ; 

 chest, ventral region, and lower tail-eovcrta pale grayish 

 brown, fading into white on belly, etc. ; sides and flanks 

 deeper brown ; upper parts nearly plain brownish dusky, 

 the wings much as in the male. Doicny young : "Crown, 

 nape, and upper parts uniform dark olive-brown ; throat, 

 sides of the head, and fore part of the nock, yellowish 

 white; a dull grayish band crosses the lower neck, rest of 

 the under parts dull yellowish, the flanks grayish yellow." 

 (Dresser.) Length 18.00-20.00, wing 8.25-8.50 (8.42), 

 culmcn 1.95-2.05 (2.00), greatest width of bill .90-1.00 



' Arittoncltn Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 703. Typo, Anns rallimcrin Wils. This subgenus, which was unani- 

 mously accepted by the A. 0. IT. Committee, w»3 accidentally omitted from the Check List. 



